House of the Week: Post-modern in Niskayuna

The post-modern look of this week’s selection was a result of form following function. The 3,328-square-foot house is a passive solar house made with pre-fabricated panels. The site is southern-facing to take advantage of natural light. The interior has independent temperature controls on each floor, highly rated insulation, energy-efficient doors and windows, bathroom floor heating, a centrally located fireplace and a tankless water heater. The air flow inside, along with a natural trellis and overhangs on the back of the house provide shade in the summer. The owners electricity and gas bill combined averages less than $200 per month with the thermostat set at 72 in the winter and 65-68 in the summer.

The house was built in 2002 and has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. It sits on 1.15 acres landscaped with native plants. Niskayuna schools. Natural gas, central air. Taxes: $18,715 List price: $619,900. Listing agent Alex Monticello of Monticello Real Estate will host an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Contact him at 227-0718.

7 Responses

The owner’s furniture is really out of place with the style of the house. Do you like stained glass lamps and ornately carved furniture or do you like minimalist Scandinavian design? Also why are there cinder blocks in the landscaping of a 600,000 house. That said I like the house.

Probably one of the most poorly staged houses I’ve ever seen! Decor is completely mismatched to the style of the house….really? Country kitchen bar stools and Tiffany-style lamps? Think sleek, clean, Scandinavian, Epic fail.

Love the house–love the listing! I think the home is perfectly staged for sale as well. I can forgive the bedroom and office furniture choices as there is no clutter in either space. It’s personal preferences and this will not air on HGTV. The white walls can easily be changed to the new owner’s taste–better white than a lot of other colors that would need painting over immediately. It has been totally decluttered and gives a prospective buyer a good idea on how their own furnishings will fill the spaces. It is Niskayuna and the taxes are about right for the asking price. I don’t feel as bad now about what we are paying in that town. The whole area is outrageously taxed!

Its a very nice house, if you like a modern design. Totally out of my price range. I do not agree with other commenters about the furniture, I think you can mix antiques with modern design and make it work. In the end, you’re probably not buying the owners furniture, you’re buying the structure and all of the built-in features and finishes seem to be high quality.